Confection-coating machine



P- D. PANOULIAS.

CONFECTION COATING -MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Auehzo. 19w

1,304,362;- Patented May 20,1919;

F119" INVEh 'TOR 2 9 A TTORNE Y of Hudson and PANAYIOTIS D. PANOULIAS, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

CONFECTION-COATING MACHIN E.

i Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Application filed August 20, 1918. Serial No. 250,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PANAYIOTIS D. PA- NOULIAS, a subject of the King of Greece, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Confection-Coating Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to confectionerycoating machines, and more particularly to machines for coating candy centers with fluid chocolate by the flooding method. In apparatus of this type the ried through the machine by an endless open wire conveyer or belt, or by two or more belts in series. At one stage in the progress the centers encounter a flood of the coating material; further along the coated confections may be acted upon by decorating devices. It is also customary to vibrate the belt or belts in order to make the coatings smooth and glossy and to remove excess material. Not infrequently the confections become. laterally displaced by the flood or as the result of the tapping, so that the pieces touch each other and imperfect coatings are produced, in addition to which the alinement which may be desirable for subsequent operations is lost. One of the objects of the invention is to provide in a simple and effective way for compartments or stalls in the working portion of the belt, and particularly at and adjacent the flooding region, whereby such displacement is prevented. This is accomplished in part by the employment of a coating belt consisting of longitudinal strands such as shown in my application Serial No. 642,090, filed August 3, 1911, together with elevating guides or pulleys associated with certain of the strands to raise these above the level of the remainder, so that the longitudinal rows of confections are kept separate as they pass through the flood, and for as great a distance at either side thereof as may be desired. Means are provided for changing the spacing between the elevating guides, so as to vary the widths of the confection compartments to accommodate confections of different sizes. The invention also provides in an advantageous manner for the individual tensioning of all the strands in their inactive or return stretches, which enables any ofthe strands to be raised in their working courses without affecting the other strands.

In the accompanying drawings illustratcenters are caring so much of a coatin machine as is necessary for an understan ments:

Figure l is a tion; F1 Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section corresponding to Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction'of the arrow at the right of Fig. 1.

The coating belt shown in these views is composed of a plurality of endless longitudinal strands 1, which pass around a. grooved cylinder or a leys 2 on a shaft 3 at about another series of grooved pulleys 4 on a shaft 5 at the exit or delivery end. A hopper 6 for delivering a flow of chocolate through the belt and over the centers as as they reach this point is indicated schematically. As is well known in the art-the flood passes downward into a heated tank beneath the belt, fromwhich it is continuousl elevated to the hopper. These features, ein familiar, are not illustrated. A frame pivoted at 8 and vibrated up and down by ratchets 9, and carrying a bottoming plate 10 beneath the flow and under the upper course of the belt and transverse tapping bars 11, is as disclosed in my prior application aforesaid.

The numeral 12 designates a fixed bar which extends across the machine between the upper and lower courses of the belt, somewhat in advance, that is to say at the approaching side, of the flooding region, and

vertical longitudinal secwhich is suitably supported by the frame work of the machine, here sufliciently represented by the side plate 13. This bar is pro vided with bolt holes adapted to receive bolts 14: for the attachment of a carrier 15, which may be in the form of an angle iron. The said carrier bears a series of upwardly projecting boxes 16 containing grooved pulseries of grooved pulthe receiving end, and

g of the improveleys 17, which are disposed at such height as to raise the upper courses of the strands with which they cooperate a suificient distance above the general level to prevent the lat eral displacement of the centers. The pulleys 17 are placed upon the carrier at inter- .vals such 'as to raise only those strands of the belt which will form the sides or channels of a width proximately to the width of stalls corresponding apof theconfections.

The width of the stalls can be readily to engage other of the strands. As indi-- cated at 16 17 part or all of the partitions can be made by raising two adjacent strands, thus securing greater separation, pulleys side by side or double pulleys being used for the purpose.

By these means the confections are kept separate and in line, the proportion of dam aged goods can be materially reduced, and the belt can carry more pieces and be run fasterwithout danger of mutual contact.

The fixed bar 12 is also provided, in its lower part, with a series of closely adjacent apertures 18, which receive the upper ends of depending springs 19. Supported on the lower ends of th e springs and urged upward thereby are locks 20 holding grooved pulleys 21 which bear against the under sides of the strands in their lower courses and thereby keep the belt strands in proper tension. The blocks 20 have entrances 22 which permit ready removal and insertion of the individual strands. Whereas there are relatively few of the elevating pulleys on the upper side of the bar, corresponding to occasional strands, each strand of the belt has an individual tensioning pulleyv sus pended from the bar to act upon its lower course. Thus, whenever by change or adjustment a strand which was formerly elevated to form aside of a stall is allowed to descendso as to become part of the traveling floor, it will not be permitted to sag, and on the other hand elevation of any particular strand does not affect the tensioning and level of the other strands.

At the delivery or exit end of the belt, a scraper plate 23 is secured detachably and adjustable to the under sides of arms 24 which are mounted by means of rods 25 and spacers 27 in upwardly and rearwardly inclined positions in the frame of the machine and carry the pulley shaft 5 in their upper ends. This plate is slotted. transversely from its upper rear edge in such manner that the slots receive the under parts of the pulleys 4, while the fingers 28'extend between the 'pulleys to points adjacent and in rear of their axial centers. The edges of the slotted portion of the scraper plate or comb approach sufliclently close to the sides and periphery of the pulleys to clear the same effectively of coating material, which tends to accumulate thereon and which if not removed is detrimental to the product of the machine. The chocolate taken 0E by" the scraper falls or is conveyed into the tank below.

The strands 1 pass from the rear guide pulleys 4 downward behind and under the scraper plate 23 to grooved roller sleeves 29,

ao-area mation of the blocks 20 facilitating removal,

enables any one of the separate strands composing the belt to be easily and quickly taken outand replaced without disturbing the remaining strands or other parts of the machine.

-What I claim as new is:

1. In a confectionery-coating machine having'means forsupplying coating to the confections, the combination with a belt for conveying the coated confections, the said belt being composed of longitudinal strands, of means for elevating certain of the strands in the upper course to form compartments or stalls for the confections to prevent lateral displacement, and means for individually tensioning each of the strands in a lower course.

individual spring suspensions and pulleys depending from the bar to tension all the strands in the lower course.

3. In' a confectionery-coating machine having means for supplying coating to the confections, the combination with a belt for conveying the coated confections, the said belt being composed of longitudinal strands, of a cross-bar betweenthe upper and lower courses of the belt, a carrier detach-ably mounted on said cross-bar and carrying a series of elevating pulleys relatively few in number supported in upward projecting relation by said bar to engage certain of the strands in the upper course, and a numerous series of individual tensioning devices sup ported from the bar and engaging all the strands in their lower courses.

4. In a confectionery coating machine having means for supplying coating to the,

1 said belt being composed of longitudinal strands, of a cross-bar between the upper and lower courses of the belt, springs hung from said cross-bar, and pulleys carried by said springs and urged upward thereby to tension the strands.

6. In a confectionerycoating machine having means for supplying coating to the confections, the combination with a belt having a substantially horizontal upper course for conveying the confections, the said belt being composed of longitudinal strands, of a cross-bar between the upper and lower courses of the belt, a series of spring ,suspensions hung from the cross-bar, and independent blocks carried by said suspensions and containing pulleys urged upward thereby against the lower courses of the-strands to tension the same, said blocks being provided each with an entrance permitting the introduction and removal of its strand, whereby to permit any one of the tensioned strands composing the belt to be removed and replaced without disturbing the others.

PANAYIOTI'S D. PANOULIAS. 

